Hoping for a Better Me

Hello!

I'd start here if you're unsure of how to go about it, loads of good information in there:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Hi! Feel free to friend me! This is my second time here at MFP. I've also done WW before. My weight goes up and down (each time I had a kid, and then stayed up after the last). I've lost 5-10 pounds here and there in the last couple years, but it always goes back up. Over the years I have figured this out - if it's too involved, I won't stick with it. If it's too restricting, I won't stick with it. I cook for my family and I can't NOT eat what I fix. So I've figured out I can do really well during the day, keep my calorie intake low, and then enjoy dinner with the family. I do watch my portions at dinner so that I can have a snack in the evening. This time around it's been a week and I've been under my calorie goal every day. I went to the store specifically to find things I could snack on that wouldn't bust my daily limit.

For a healthy protein snack in the afternoon I will have a light cheese stick, a turkey sausage stick and maybe some of those pretzel chips (half a serving). This is just a small snack that's not junk food and will keep me going.

It is easy to find light ice cream or sweet snacks, and honestly sometimes one of those M&M fun size bags is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. I do have to put the chocolate in the freezer though because otherwise I'll eat it all (and I don't like frozen chocolate so this solves my problem - all I have to do is just get one piece out to thaw and I'm good).

I also drink a lot of water. My other drink of choice is iced tea, which is mostly water and not a lot of calories.

Oh and I also know that I have to have the same thing for breakfast every day - peanut butter toast and milk. So I got lite bread (fewer calories) and I just know that I am using those calories in the morning and I work around it. Otherwise whatever I'd eat would not hold me till lunch and I'd probably consume even more calories. And reduced fat peanut butter (which I used to eat) only has a bit fewer calories but a lot of extra junk, so I quit that and stuck with plain old Jif.

Don't know if this helps, but it's my experience!

Hi. I am new as well. I am on information overload.

If you stick with fresh food and not packaged you will do fine. I have not eaten packaged food in over a year. My breakfast smoothie takes 5 minutes to make. I make good healthy soups for lunch on the weekend and make containers so I have them for the week. And you could help hubby plan menus so you don't have to just "eat what he makes". You could be having him make (or learning to make yourself) healthy choice meals that all of you could eat.

You don't mention why you can't eat salads? If there isn't a medical reason, your gut will get used to them. It only takes about a week for our guts to get used to the healthy choices we make and then it regulates to that.

Make sure you eat!! You will not lose weight if you do not eat. There is a reason they give you a calorie intake goal. It is okay to eat about 100 calories under or exercise yourself under but you need to eat.

Do not consider this a diet, consider this a lifestyle change. Most of us need this change and our families should join us on this journey. There is no reason that they shouldn't be eating healthy like we are. That's the rule in my house. If it is a lifestyle change, everyone will benefit!!

Good luck on your journey... you can do this!!